Warning of sustained industrial action

Union bosses have warned health workers they will have to be prepared for a sustained period of industrial action if they reject the government’s latest and “final” offer on the NHS pension scheme.

The deal, announced before Christmas, stated that from 2015 NHS pensions will be linked to career average earnings rather than final salary and the normal pensionable age will be the same as the state pension age.

Unions won an improvement on the accrual rate, which determines the proportion of the pension fund paid out annually, from one sixtieth to one fifty-fourth.

But the amount at which the pension is revalued annually was reduced from consumer price index plus 2.25% to CPI plus 1.5%.

Most health unions, with the exception of Unite, acknowledge that the latest offer is the best that will be achieved through negotiations and will now take it to union executive councils and members for a decision.

That is expected before the end of January with the threat of industrial action suspended in the meantime.

HSJ quoted one union source as saying: “All of the unions will be saying to their members, ‘If you reject it you have to be prepared for sustained industrial action.’”

NHS Employers director Dean Royles said the agreement to suspend the threat of industrial action had provided an opportunity to work with staff and explain the implications and it was a significant step to have reached this stage in the negotiations.

Managers in Partnership chief executive Jon Restell said the deal was the government’s “final position.”